Members of the Senate Committee on Education during a fact-finding mission on ECDES, VTCS in the Coast
The Senate Committee on Education have conducted a fact-finding mission on ECDES and VTCs across the coastal counties of Mombasa, Kwale, and Kilifi.
The committee, chaired by Nominated Senator Betty Montet, was on a three-day tour aimed at assessing the implementation of Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) and Vocational Training Centres (VTCS) in the region.
During site visits to ECDE centres at Chaani Junior Secondary and Kadzandani Junior School inMombasa, the Committee identified key concerns, including pending construction bills, lack of play areas, staffing shortages, and curriculum inconsistencies.
Nevertheless, the Kadzandani ECDE Centre was commended for its design.
Nominated Senator Betty Montet underscored the need for a unified approach to teacher training.
“It is clear from our observations that we need to invest in a Training of Teachers Centre at the national level to standardise ECDE delivery across counties,” she stated.
In Kwale County, the Committee was received by Governor Fatima Achani, who presented an in-depth overview of ECDE and VTC investments.
Currently, Kwale supports over 51,000 ECDE pupils, with the cost of a model centre estimated at Ksh. 8.5 million.
Since 2013, the county has built 545 ECDE centres, 403 of which are fully equipped. However, 192 centres remain underdeveloped, requiring approximately Sh1.6 billion to meet modern standards.
The committee's visit included inspections of the JEZA B ECDE Centre and Matunga Vocational Training Centre.
Key takeaways included challenges such as limited resources and low public participation, alongside best practices like permanent staff employment, strategic partnerships, and digital integration in training.
In Kilifi County, Governor Gideon Mung'aro briefed lawmakers on ECDE enrolment, infrastructure, teacher recruitment, and budget allocations.
Kilifi currently serves 58,327 ECDE learners with 1,261 teachers, exceeding the recommended teacher-pupil ratio of 1:25.
Although 860 classrooms have been constructed since 2013, the county still requires an additional 1,084 to meet policy standards.
Mung'aro highlighted ongoing partnerships, saying, “We are working very closely with many partners who are helping us on infrastructure and IT equipment for both ECDE and VTCs.
“Most of the projects that we are dealing with currently are the abandoned and stalled ones.
